The Kansas City Chiefs took a big swing on a high-upside prospect with their first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as Josh Simmons was promising player on the offensive line throughout his collegiate career before an Achilles tendon injury cut short his final season with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Beyond the injury concerns, which have been greatly lessened since Simmons went down in October of 2024, the newest Chiefs offensive lineman was critiqued for the length of his arms. During a session with the media on Monday, Kansas City’s director of player personnel and college scouting, Ryne Nutt, downplayed any of those concerns while comparing the tackle to a pair of other offensive linemen in the pros.
“In terms of years past, I would say, Josh, when he was healthy at this year, this tape, would be one of the better ones in the last few years,” Nutt said, via the team’s official transcript. “He kind of reminds me of (Vikings left tackle) Christian Darrisaw, who’s done really well for the Vikings. He’s got a little bit of (LT Rashawn) Slater in him, who plays for the Chargers. The kid’s arms are longer than I think people think, the (NFL Scouting) Combine measured him at 33 (inches) but his Pro Day — or 34 and an eighth, and I think that’s closer to what we kind of had, I think we had around 34 when we brought him in. The kid is super talented and super willing to work, and we’re excited to have him where we got him.”
Nutt went on to praise Simmons by stating that he is, arguably, the most talented offensive line prospect in this entire draft class, despite the prior injury, comparing him directly to the first offensive tackle selected in the draft, New England Patriots rookie Will Campbell.
“You could make your case for the best, but he’s definitely in the top three in this draft class in terms of what he provides,” Nutt said. “The only difference maybe between him and some other guys is he started two years and some of these other guys, like the LSU kid (Patriots LT Will Campbell) I think started more and you could say experience and stuff like that, but Josh is physically — he is elite. I mean, he is big, he’s strong, his feet jump off the tape. When you put this tape on, his set is as pretty as it looks now in terms of offensive line pass setting.”
Given the fact that keeping Patrick Mahomes upright and healthy is one of the most important jobs in the NFL today, the Chiefs appear to have found the right man to protect their quarterback’s blindside for years to come. Criticism will come for any prospect drafted in the first round, Kansas City’s coaching staff clearly believes the former Buckeyes star is more than up for the job, though.
